I dunno. I always thought that the One Power was comparable to a bucket of knives. You reach in (open yourself up to the power) select a knife (or spell) and throw it (cast your weave). Gandalf's magic seemed more like an elemental part to his nature. He was the magic the Valar had sent him to Middle Earth with to destroy evil (but not rule). Moiraine is just another woman with a big bucket of knives. Albeit a good woman with an impressive bucket, but otherwise undistinguished in nature from the other knifey-throwy women.

 

And, she didn't actually die. Gandalf died. Actually died. Then came back to life. Moiraine just went away and came back with a tool that lets her grab more knives at a time (like, um, some kind of glove or atlatl).

Edited April 20, 201115 yr by johntocaelpiano

When I first read the title I thought it said "Moiraine's 'death' like Graendal's 'death'" and couldn't help but wonder what I had missed.